


Celebrity Crush

by Sulluspark



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Celebrity, Cheesy, Chef Hannibal Lecter, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, Fluff and Crack, Game Shows, Getting to Know Each Other, Host Jimmy Price, M/M, Matchmaking, Murder Husbands Big Bang, Nervous Will Graham, Surprise Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-17 12:53:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28600260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sulluspark/pseuds/Sulluspark
Summary: What started as a way to relieve boredom and learn a new skill to help him sustain his hermit life quickly evolved into something more - until Will Graham could confidently and proudly say that he was Hannibal Lecter’s biggest fan. And he would have been perfectly content with harboring this “little” crush for the rest of his days without doing anything about it had Beverly not intervened.
Relationships: Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter
Comments: 5
Kudos: 94
Collections: MHBB2020





	Celebrity Crush

**Author's Note:**

> My first big bang entry and it was so much fun to write! Thanks to @[nimoras](https://nimoras.tumblr.com/) on tumblr for the amazing art!

“Hey, Will! Look at this!”

Beverly’s shout drew the brunette’s attention away from the TV screen. He turned, a little miffed that she’d interrupted him, and gave her an annoyed look.

”What?”

Instead of responding, she turned her computer screen to face him. Unfortunately, it was still too far away to see clearly, and the glasses on the table weren't prescription. Will huffed, loathe to take his eyes off his show for even a second, especially when the object of his affection was right _there_ , but he obliged (though he made sure she knew he wasn't happy about it at all).

The brunette slowly got up and made his way to the kitchen table, dragging a chair next to Beverly. He sat down, foot immediately tapping against the floor, eager to get back to what he'd been watching.

"So what's this all about? What was so important that you had to take my attention away from my favorite show?"

Beverly rolled her eyes, playfully shoving at his shoulder. "Oh, please. You've watched every episode of that since you became obsessed with it. Missing it just this once isn't going to make Hannibal Lecter suddenly think you're not a fan."

Will's mouth formed a line. "No, but it might make me reconsider inviting you over on show days."

"Whatever. Well, anyway, read this."

**Who's your celebrity crush? Tell us for a chance to win something big!**  
It's no secret. Everyone's had a crush on a celebrity before; it's a natural thing! They're all just so dreamy - ahem. The point is that you, yes _you_ , are eligible to enter this little competition we're having! All you have to do is simply submit a video to the email below, include your phone number, and tell us all about your celebrity crush. Anything at all, we'll listen! Here, we'll even get you started: what do you like about them, when did you start crushing on them, what would you do if you could spend a day with them?

Once we've received your video, you're entered! That's right: it's that easy, and you'll be in the running for something big we have planned! We can't tell you, obviously, as we'd like to keep it a surprise, but we promise it's worth it. So what are you waiting for? Send us that video now! If we don't get yours by March 15th, midnight ET, you'll regret it!

Will looked at Beverly incredulously. "You dragged me away from my show for this?"

"Hey, don't knock it 'til you try it!"

"Wha - _Beverly_. This is clearly just another one of those sham contests. Why would I ever want to enter one of these things?"

Beverly pouted. "Come on, Will! It sounds like the perfect contest for you! I mean, you have no end of material."

"They won't even say what the prize is! It's clearly fake!" Will shook his head. "Why do you even want me to do it so bad?"

Beverly crossed her arms, face suddenly turning uncharacteristically serious. "Because Will - If I have to sit through one more rant about how Hannibal Lecter's eyes are just the perfect shade of maroon, like a garnet gemstone on a wedding band that you wish he'd propose to you with, I think I might go insane."

Will blushed, sputtering. "I don't remember ever saying that!" She just raised an eyebrow at him, judging him silently. "Okay, maybe it might have come up once..."

"Exactly, Will. And I get it: you need to get it out of your system." Beverly's stare pinned him. "So you have absolutely no excuse not to participate in this. And, hey, you might get something cool out of it! But _please_ , I need a break."

Will frowned, cheeks still red. "Fine," he finally conceded, sighing. "I'm going to turn the TV off - my show's over anyway. Do you have your phone?"

  
  


The video was submitted, to Beverly's delight, and without fanfare. Will promptly forgot about it the very next day, too insignificant for him to pay it any more mind. After all, he gushed about Hannibal Lecter all the time. What was one more? Sure, this time it would be heard by more ears than just Beverly, but it's not like he'd win whatever sham prize they were advertising, and nowhere did it say the video would be published without consent.

So Will went about his days like normal. More than a month had passed since the submission and it had been out of mind for weeks now, which is why the call was wholly unexpected.

He startled out of his mindless grading as his phone rang. He was hesitant to answer it, looking at it suspiciously as he didn't recognize the caller ID. Being as antisocial as he was, he rarely got texts, much less phone calls, and the few contacts he had consisted of Beverly and some work colleagues. Not to mention, he couldn't remember giving his number out recently.

But if they had his number, then he must have trusted them enough to give it out, and if they were calling, it must be important. Right?

Will was entirely too unprepared and exhausted for this, but he sighed and answered. "Hello?"

"Hello, is this Will Graham?" A chipper voice sounded back.

"Uh, yes. Who is this?"

"Hello, Mr. Graham! It's great that we could get in touch with you. My name is Abigail Hobbs and I'm calling to follow-up on that video you submitted a month ago about your celebrity crush?"

Oh that.

"Yes, what about it?" Will's brow furrowed as he struggled to remember what he had said in that submission.

"Well, congratulations! You won! We were very impressed by your video and the passion with which you spoke about your celebrity crush." She giggled, "We could really tell how committed you were to Dr. Lecter."

"..." Will had gone silent, shocked at winning and not registering any words beyond that point.

"Mr. Graham?"

Will's mind raced. "Are you sure? I think you might've made a mistake."

"Oh, we're very sure, Mr. Graham." Abigail's voice had regained it's cheerful tone as Will responded. "So sure, in fact, that we've already booked the tickets to fly you over here so you can claim your surprise."

"W-wait, what?!"

This was all happening so fast, Will was dizzy with it.

"Hold on, I don't remember ever agreeing to be flown out to some unknown place-"

Abigail smiled wryly. "I'm afraid you did agree to it, Mr. Graham. It was in the terms and conditions. Did you read the whole thing?"

"Yes..." He replied, because he _had_ read the whole thing despite thinking it was just some stupid contest, and he genuinely didn't remember seeing those terms laid out anywhere. Pressing the phone to his ear with his shoulder, he searched frantically for the site on his computer.

"Well, unfortunately, everything has already been put in place and we simply can't cancel now. You'll be receiving your tickets in the mail shortly and other important information will be sent directly to your email." Abigail continued, preventing Will from getting a word in. "Have a good day, Mr. Graham! We'll be expecting you!"

"Wait-!"

_Click._

Will blinked at his phone in shock. He'd just been hung up and told - no, _forced_ \- to take a flight to some unknown destination where he definitely wouldn't know anybody.

Sighing, he pressed a finger to his temple to soothe the headache that was already making itself known. Clearly, there was nothing he could do about any of this, but he decided to comb through his submission to make absolute certain of it.

And there it was. Damn. It was in fine print, of course, because he'd never have missed it otherwise. Groaning and feeling utterly helpless, he trudged into the kitchen to serve himself some whiskey before returning to grading papers (after what he'd just experienced, he more than deserves it).

This was the last time he listened to any of Beverly's ideas.

  
  


“I hate you,” Will said, voice surprisingly level despite being surrounded by people. He fidgeted, anxious to be crowded like this for the first time in years, though Beverly’s presence eased it a little.

They were huddled close together in their own little corner as they watched the hustle and bustle of the airport. The abrupt exposure to it all reminded Will why he hated social interaction and especially airports, where it was busy and full and -

“Will!” Beverly snapped her fingers in front of his face, startling him out of his dazed state. “Are you okay?”

”No,” he responded, inching back into his seat to try and make himself seem smaller. His attempt was met with a worried stare.

“Will, you know if I had known, I wouldn’t have pushed you to do it, right?”

”I know,” he mumbled.

”And you’re really freaking me out right now. Please just try to enjoy yourself while you’re there?”

”I can try, no promises though.”

Beverly breathed a sigh of relief. “Ok, ok, that’s a start, at least.” She shot him a small smile. “Who knows? Maybe you’ll come out of this a million dollars richer, or you’ll find your soulmate or something.”

At this, Will finally cracked a smile. “I wouldn’t get my hopes up, and especially not on that last one. I’m still not sure this isn’t fake.”

“Well it’s not gonna happen with that attitude.”

They bickered for a while, Beverly gladdened to see that Will was slowly relaxing. He seemed to have settled somewhat and wasn’t as overwhelmed as before. However, all the progress she had made was shattered in minutes when the overhead speaker called for the passengers of Will’s plane to start gathering for check in and take off.

The brunette stiffened and slumped in his seat. Beverly gave him a sympathetic smile before gently nudging him in the direction of the others.

“Don’t have too much fun without me, Will!” She waved as her friend stood in line.

Will pursed his lips and mouthed “traitor,” before he was led inside.

It was going to be a long flight.

  
  


Will nervously shuffled into the building he’d been driven to, forgetting to say thanks to the driver out of sheer anxiety of what was to come. Immediately, he was accosted by a man with black hair who was about his height.

“Will Graham, right?”

Will could only nod. His arm was then taken none-too-gently as he was dragged through the maze of hallways and into one of the rooms, spacious and filled with people. Of course - he should’ve expected it - but the amount of people still sent a feeling of dread crawling through him. His eyes naturally fell to the floor, and he let out a little squeak when he was abruptly deposited into a seat in front of a vanity mirror.

“Hi Will!” He looked up at the familiar cheery tone, eyes meeting with that of a young girl’s as the man who led him here disappeared in the sea of people.

“Hello,” he replied softly, unnerved by the man’s rudeness (he was a guest, wasn’t he?) but unwilling to comment on it.

Thankfully, the girl seemed to pick up on it. “Don’t mind Zeller. He’s a little... rough around the edges.”

Will smiled at her attempt to lighten the mood. “I see. And you are?”

”Oh, right!” She grinned, ”I’m Abigail. We talked on the phone.”

”I thought you were familiar.”

”Yeah,” she hummed. “Sorry about that call, by the way. I couldn’t let you say no to coming here or I would’ve been fired.” She had the grace to look guilty, at least, and Will oddly had the urge to comfort her even though he was definitely the one who’d been wronged.

“That’s alright. What’s done is done, right? I’m here now, no point in worrying about it.” He smiled at her. “Anyway, is there anything you can tell me now that I’m here?”

”Mhm,” she said as she swiveled the chair and got behind Will to start teasing his hair with a comb. “So that contest we made was actually a way to scout out participants for our new show: Celebrity Crush. We treated all the videos like an audition, and yours won out in the end, so that’s why you’re here.”

Will sighed and seemed resigned to his fate. “I’m going to be on TV for everyone to see, aren’t I?”

Abigail watched him sympathetically. ”Unfortunately, yes. But I’d like to think it’s not all bad.”

Will scoffed. “So my prize is to be a TV star? Not much of one, if you ask me. In fact, it sounds like my worst nightmare.”

Abigail tilted her head, disbelieving. It seemed that he had not caught on yet, which was just as well. The cameras would get his true reaction that way and make for better TV. Still, she couldn’t help but feel sorry for the man who clearly hated the spotlight. The least she could do is give him a hint so he wouldn’t be completely blindsided.

After taming the last of his errant curls, Abigail put the brush down and peered at Will’s reflection in the mirror while he was distracted in his sulking. He really was beautiful - he didn’t even need makeup - and the audience would surely love him.

“I’m sure you can guess what your surprise is from the title of our show, Will. It’s not very subtle or creative, if you ask me.”

Will frowned, turning to her confusedly. ”What-“

“Will Graham to the stage, please. Will Graham to the stage.”

The man froze. “Wait, I’m not ready!”

Abigail giggled as she ushered him out of the seat and accompanied him out of the room.

Despite Will’s panic, they managed to make it with a few minutes to spare. The techs all looked at them with relief while they scrambled to get everything together before his entrance. Abigail gave Will an encouraging smile and coaxed him away from a full on attack, but his heart still felt like it was beating out of his chest.

”I don’t know if I can do this,” he pleaded.

“You’re going to do fine.” She patted his back. “Just don’t think about them too much.”

Will laughed sardonically. “A little hard to ignore all those pairs of eyes on me, Abigail.” Though, despite his tone, he really was grateful she was here to help him. Who knows what state he’d be in if she wasn’t.

They stood there in silence, waiting, until finally, “Now, let’s welcome our first lucky guest to our show, Will Graham!”

And Will walked on stage, Abigail’s support warm at his back.

  
  


He assumed as soon as he walked in that he’d drown in the applause, but, in fact, he was drowning in something else.

Oh.

_Oh._

Now Will understood what Abigail had been insinuating.

Immediately after stepping up to the stage, his eyes met maroon ones, a captivating pair that he’d know anywhere. In the midst of all the chaos, he found himself anchored, muting the rest of the world to a manageable level.

_Wow_ , he was far gone on this man.

He covered his mouth as his eyes bulged out of his head. He didn’t even want to imagine his expression being caught on camera right now, too caught up in the moment.

The host, Jimmy, laughed. “Hey Will! It’s Will, right?” A shocked nod. “Why don’t you take a seat next to your dear Dr. Lecter? Don’t worry, he won’t bite!” The audience laughed.

Will stared uncertainly between Jimmy, Hannibal, and the chair next to him. The man had a placid smile on his face as he sat back down, gesturing amicably to the chair and inviting Will to sit.

He approached shyly, blush high on his cheeks, but at least his hand was no longer covering half his face. “H-hello,” he greeted meekly.

“Hello, Will. It’s nice to have a face to match the name,” Hannibal said pleasantly, and Will almost swooned at that lilting cadence directed at him.

Jimmy chuckled, making his way over to the pair to mediate as the audience settled down.

”So Will, can you tell us a little more about yourself? Other than the glaringly obvious, of course.”

The brunette’s blush flared anew as he wiggled in his seat, trying to get comfortable. “Oh, um, there isn’t much to tell, really. My name is Will Graham, I’m a teacher at Quantico, and I like dogs.” The audience cooed at his last statement.

“Do you have any, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Yes! I have seven. All strays, but I love them all.”

”Aw! Well isn’t that cute?” Jimmy said once he’d recovered from the shocking statement of owning a whole pack of dogs. “I can barely handle one, let alone seven!” This earned him another chuckle from the audience.

They continued with the icebreakers for a few minutes longer to ease Will’s anxiety before Jimmy deemed it time for the main event.

“Alright, everyone! Let’s get started for real!” He said as a large screen came down and covered the trio at the center of the room. Behind it, the crew set the stage and ushered Will and Hannibal to their respective places as the audience watched a simplistic animation for what was to come.

_Welcome to Celebrity Crush! Each episode, one lucky guy or gal will be paired with their celebrity crush to complete a series of games that test their compatibility. Successful completion of a game, completion of a game at a higher level, or, if a timed event, completion of a game in the shortest amount of time, will be awarded more points. Once all games have been attempted, points will be calculated into a percentage that will be revealed to our two participants at the end of their trials. So, is it just puppy love or is it meant to be? We’ll find out in this episode of Celebrity Crush!_

The screen then revealed the stage as everyone applauded. Hannibal and Will were seated next to each other, holding whiteboards and facing the audience.

“Now that everyone’s all caught up, we’ll get started with our first game: _I’m sorry, do I know you?_ ”

Will fiddled with his marker and kept stealing glances at Hannibal as Jimmy explained the rules. The man looked, like always, poised and unruffled. Their eyes met for a brief second, but it was enough for Will to turn away, flushed. Hannibal couldn’t help the quirk of his lips at the endearing action.

”This first game will be quite simple. I will pose a question to Hannibal and Will about Hannibal, since he is the celebrity here, and they will write the answer, or in Will’s case, what he believes to be the answer, on the whiteboard. There will be a total of ten questions, with each one being harder than the last. The more questions they get correct, the more points, and the higher the compatibility!” He grinned. ”So, who’s ready to get started?”

The cheers from the audience were a clear yes, and they were off.

“Okay, first question: when is Hannibal’s birthday?”

No sooner than Jimmy had said the words did Will start furiously writing on his whiteboard. Hannibal smiled, following at a more sedate pace. Both flipped their boards over at the same time to reveal their answer: January 20th.

Jimmy laughed. “Well done, Will! I could tell that was too easy for you.” Will blushed but didn’t deny it. ”Onto the second question: where was Hannibal born?”

Much like the first question, Will didn’t hesitate to start writing his answer.

“Lithuania... is correct! Third question: what is Hannibal’s favorite color?”

The audience watched with bated breath as Will, for the first time, seemed to have to think about the question. It was Hannibal that started to write first, peering at Will curiously as he scrunched his eyebrows and started writing once Hannibal had already finished. It was such a simple question, but also easy to get wrong, and he was unsure. Wouldn’t it look bad if he got a question wrong this early in the game?

“Okay, if you’re ready, Will... let’s flip the boards over!” Both boards were flipped and Will snuck a glance at Hannibal’s. He breathed a sigh of relief as their answers matched. “Red is the right answer! Good job, Will!”

”Moving on. Fourth question: what does Hannibal like to do in his spare time?”

Will jotted down his answer quickly, more confident this time than with the previous question. He was dismayed to see that, when it came time to flip the boards over, their answers didn’t match. While Will had written cooking, Hannibal had written drawing.

The brunette ducked his head in embarrassment. “Ah... I suppose that would’ve been too obvious, huh?”

”That’s alright,” Hannibal comforted. “It’s not something many people know about me. I'm known for being a chef, after all.”

Will blushed, still unbelieving that he was really here with his idol sitting right next to him. And now he was even trying to make him feel better about something so petty! Will’s heart was going to explode if this kept up.

”Oh, that’s okay, Will! You still have more questions! Speaking of which, here’s your fifth: where did Hannibal go to school and what did he study?”

Both boards were flipped with only one difference between them. Will looked over at Hannibal’s, which had the addition of a minor in classics. “Oh, was I supposed to include that?” He asked the host.

“No, it’s fine. We’ll give you the point for that since it’s technically our fault for not specifying.”

Will nodded, erasing his board while Jimmy addressed the audience.

“So those first few questions were pretty easy. Now, they’re going to get hard. Sixth question: how did Hannibal get his start as a celebrity?“

Jimmy allowed them more time for this particular question as the answer couldn’t be summed up in just a few words. Indeed, though Will had started writing before Jimmy even finished asking the question, he was still going. He flipped his board at the same time as Hannibal, his noticeably more filled up than the chef’s.

Jimmy chuckled at the difference, squinting to see what Will had written. He didn’t have the best handwriting to begin with, not to mention the small size he’d written his words in order to cram in the whole explanation.

“That’s... very specific, Will, but nonetheless correct! He wrote even more than you, Dr. Lecter!” Jimmy waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

”Of course. I expect nothing less from my ‘biggest’ fan.”

They continued like that for the next few questions, each one easily answered by Will and gaining him more points, until they finally reached the last question. If Will were to think about it later, he would say he was actually having fun, despite being the center of attention. Maybe it was just being in the presence of Hannibal, though.

”Okay, this one’s a little personal, folks. But it is the final question, after all - better make it memorable! Are you ready, Will?” A nod. “Who has influenced Hannibal the most and why?”

Will let out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding. He actually _did_ know the answer to this question, having come upon the same topic in one of Hannibal’s old interviews from nearly a decade ago, just a few months before he would make it big. He’d spent so long scouring for any trace of his idol once he’d ran out of episodes to watch. How lucky!

Oh, but.

_‘Please don’t think I’m a creep.’_ Will thought as he wrote down the answer without pausing to think.

Hannibal chuckled, “On the contrary, Will, I find it quite flattering.”

“Oh no. Did I say that out loud?”

Hannibal merely answered with a smile, but Will could spy an amused twinkle in his eye. He knew all his facial expressions, having deciphered the different ways Hannibal shows emotion somewhere between the 30th and 40th episode of his show.

This time, when they were asked to flip their boards, both were identical. Will had quoted Hannibal word-for-word in that old tape, and the chef’s eidetic memory allowed him to recall his previous answer to the very same question.

”Wow! Good job, you two!” Jimmy clapped, inciting the audience to follow. Will bore it with a flustered blush while Hannibal looked as cool and calm as ever. “Will and Hannibal end with 9 points out of 10! Pretty good if you ask me!” He waited for the audience to settle before continuing. “That wraps up our first game. Please enjoy this short break while we get ready for our second. Things will look a bit different when we return, so stay tuned!”

With that, the cameras were cut and the audience was gently ushered out of the room. When everyone had evacuated, leaving just the staff who were busy cleaning up the set, Hannibal greeted Will properly.

”I know our introduction was not the most conventional one, so I’d like to introduce myself to you again, even though you know already,” He smirked. “My name is Hannibal Lecter, and you are?”

”W-Will Graham,” the brunette responded shakily as he reluctantly shook Hannibal’s hand. It would be rude not to (and one should never be rude to Hannibal Lecter), but he could hardly believe the position he was in.

”It’s nice to meet you, Will. It seems like you have me at a disadvantage. You know everything about me, but I know nothing about you, and I’d like to fix that. Would you be amendable to a suggestion?”

“It depends on what it is.”

“I’d like you to have dinner with me, either at my studio or my home, whichever is most comfortable. This would be after the show, of course.”

”Are you being serious? You’re not pulling my leg here?”

”I assure you I’m being quite serious, Will.”

“Oh, um, yes - yes, definitely!” Will agreed, face flaming no matter how he tried to keep it down. It was just something about the man that always left Will feeling out of his depth, even more than he usually felt.

”Hey guys! Sorry to interrupt, but we really gotta get going if we wanna stay on schedule,” Jimmy interrupted, gesturing to a back exit.

Will looked at the door apprehensively, but allowed Hannibal’s smile to ease his every worry. “Shall we?”

The professor nodded.

  
  


"Alright, everyone, welcome back to... Celebrity Crush!" Jimmy waved at the camera as the audience watched him through the screen from their seats. "As you can see, we're about to start a little game we like to call _Of One Mind_!"

The camera panned over the set, which consisted of zigzagged tires and a course consisting of scattered traffic cones, before moving back to Jimmy.

"This game is simple. Will and Hannibal must complete the whole course blindfolded, switching off when one finishes. The faster the time, the more points awarded. Any questions?"

The camera zooms in to Will, who looks equal parts terrified and irritated. "Yes. Are you trying to kill me?!"

"Now, now, Will! This is meant to be a trust exercise, and you trust your Dr. Lecter, _right_?" Will sputtered, but Jimmy didn't give him any time to respond. "Well, anyway, let's start! Which of you is going first?"

Hannibal looked at Will with sympathy. "I can be blindfolded first, if you'd like." He offered. "I trust you to lead me without issue."

"Are you sure? I didn't mean any offense, I was just..."

"Nervous. I understand. Still, I wouldn't mind going first." He winked. "Just don't lead me astray, okay?"

"R-right."

They got into position and Will was handed a blindfold. He hoped Hannibal didn't notice his shaky hands as he tied it around his eyes.

"Okay, Will. The timer starts as soon as you finish spinning him!"

Just as Jimmy had said, the buzzer sounded once he'd turned Hannibal a total of three times. You wouldn't know it if you hadn't seen it first-hand, as the chef barely seemed fazed, calmly awaiting Will's instructions.

The two quickly made their way through the tires, Hannibal's long legs easily finding the spaces with the help of Will's precise directions (who, despite his anxious start, delivered them with a clear and firm voice). The traffic cone course was completed swiftly too, as it seemed that Hannibal had regained his sense of position after being led through the tires.

At the end, Hannibal took his blindfold off and smiled at Will, who was looking shyly back at him. "That wasn't too bad, was it?" The brunette shook his head no as he turned away from Hannibal and allowed him to tie the blindfold around his eyes.

During Will's turn, it was more of the same. He navigated through the cones well, though there was one moment where he just barely missed a cone that would've caused him to restart. Thankfully, Hannibal's warning "Will," stopped him in his tracks and they were able to complete the course without any more issues.

However, the real challenge was yet to come: the tires. Will's legs were shorter than Hannibal's and his stride less wide as a result. He struggled to get his feet in the spaces, wobbling when he attempted to stretch his legs to reach the holes.

"Just a little farther, Will."

"That's easy for you to say, Hannibal!"

"Calm down, Will. It's fine, just take your time." Hannibal could see the professor start stressing and hoped that his voice would prevent a meltdown.

Fortunately, it worked. Will got his bearings and they continued on with Will carefully stepping into the spaces. Though their combined time definitely suffered for it, Hannibal was just glad that Will seemed to be over his ordeal. He was definitely avoiding Hannibal's eyes, however... He would have to catch him during the break in between setting up for their next game to sort that out.

"And another great performance by Will and Hannibal! At this rate, I'd ventured to guess you two are soulmates! Just the way that Hannibal was able to calm Will down - I'm sure the whole audience was swooning!"

Will ducked his head down, turning away from the camera while Hannibal eyed him worryingly. Jimmy's closing words as they cut the cameras to start their next break went in one ear and out the other as he watched Will skitter away. He stayed until Jimmy finished talking to be polite (practice what you preach and all), then excused himself to go after Will.

He found him in the bathroom, looking at himself in the mirror.

"Are you doing alright?" The brunette startled, believing himself to be the only one in the bathroom. "Please look at me, Will." The man did, albeit reluctantly.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Will chuckled dryly. "You'd need a lot more than that, Dr. Lecter."

"Name your price and I'll pay it."

Will sighed. "I don't know. I'm just - that was a mess."

"Anyone in your situation would have been the same, maybe even worse."

"Unlikely," Will's smile was self-deprecating. "But thank you for trying."

"Why don't we -"

"Will! Hannibal! There you are!" Jimmy barged into the bathroom, immediately catching the attention of the only occupants of the room. "We're almost ready to start the last game, so we'll need you both to head over there now. That way, we can get the show going faster."

"Okay." Will stared at Jimmy suspiciously. "Where are we going?"

  
  


The last game found Will and Hannibal trapped in a small space with handcuffs put on their wrists. The lights in the room were low to create ambience.

This time, Jimmy was on stage, facing the audience while the screen showed Will and Hannibal wandering the space. "Now, it's time for our third and final game that will truly test our participants' compatibility and how well they work together: an escape room!"

The audience _oohed_ , which Jimmy took as his cue to continue. "It's pretty self-explanatory. Will and Hannibal will have to escape the room they're trapped in within an hour. We just added the bonus of handcuffs into the mix. So, enjoy, audience!" With that, the host moved to the side, allowing the many pairs of eyes to focus on the screen instead.

Will and Hannibal were off to a great start, having decided before beginning the challenge to split up and solve their own clues. Jimmy laughed as they managed to do some of the puzzles with the handcuffs still on, but eventually they gave up and began to search for the key to unlock them.

After systematically opening up every drawer, Will finally came upon one with a small piece of paper taped to the back. "..." Holding it up to the light, he contemplated it for several minutes, when he felt a presence at his back.

Will immediately froze, shuddering as he felt Hannibal's warm breath as the man read the clue from over his shoulder. Recognizing the foreign language of the hint, the chef began to translate it even without the help of another clue, Will desperately trying to listen while also savoring this moment of closeness.

"Oh, I think I know where it is!" As soon as Hannibal had finished, Will shot to a table at the far corner of the room and began to feel around the nooks. There, he found the key, fumbling with his hands to unlock Hannibal's handcuffs before passing them over to allow Hannibal to unlock his.

"Good job, Will," Hannibal praised before Will could go back to solving the clues himself.

The brunette blushed and responded, "Of course," before he turned away to hide his red face.

Finally, after what felt like hundreds of clues (in Will's opinion), they found the final key that would lead them out of the room, where they were met by a standing ovation from the audience and Jimmy. They walked right on stage as Jimmy announced their final time. "Forty-two minutes and 9 seconds! Great time, as usual."

"Now, if you two gentlemen could take a seat for me," Jimmy gestured to the (only) two seats that were almost uncomfortably close to each other, "And give me a few minutes, we'll tally up your points and give you your compatibility score!"

The audience cheered as Will waited with bated breath. He hadn't expected to get so involved in this, promising himself that he wouldn't care no matter what the result, but he can't deny that it would boost his ego to know that he's compatible with Hannibal. His idol, the man he'd been following for years now, and someone he could understand so wholly... it would be a dream!

After what felt like hours but were really just several hopeful minutes, Jimmy strolled back into the room.

"Alright, everyone! Are you ready for the big reveal!?"

There was a resounding yes, which Will couldn't help but smile at. It was flattering that they seemed to think he and Hannibal were good together (even 'meant to be' according to some shouts coming from the back - Will didn’t normally like people, but he would make an exception for them).

Jimmy casually walked behind Will and Hannibal, putting his hands on the back of their chairs. "And are you two ready?"

They both nodded. "Then let's see what our machine told us!"

The screen above Will and Hannibal's heads showed a white cartoon heart against a red background. It was quickly filling up, only to end at... ninety-eight percent!

"Wow, never thought we'd see that high of a score. And it's just the pilot episode!"

Meanwhile, Will's face was flushed under Hannibal's intense gaze. "Is there something on my face?"

"No, Will. About that dinner, though..."

From somewhere deep within him, Will suddenly found the courage to smirk and say, "I don't know, Hannibal. It'll cost you."

Hannibal quirked a brow. "Oh? And what would that be?"

"A kiss." Hannibal didn't know where all this confidence had suddenly come from, but he liked it. Very much so.

The chef had a smirk of his own as he leaned in and closed the small gap between them, in full view of the audience who all seemed to get re-energized as they witnessed the act. Even Jimmy's mouth was gaping as he watched them. He only snapped out of it when he spied the camera man frantically gesturing at him.

"OH! Right! That concludes this episode of Celebrity Crush! As you can see, love is already blossoming... so make sure to tune in, and you could be next!" He waved to the camera before it cut to credits.

  
  


**Celebrity Crush’s Will Graham hospitalized! Details inside!**

_Will Graham, a fan favorite of Celebrity Crush since his appearance in its pilot episode, has just undergone surgery! Capturing the hearts of many for his bashful nature and his romance with renowned chef Hannibal Lecter, he has been largely attributed for the show’s success. That’s why it certainly came as a shock to many viewers and devout fans of the show to hear that their beloved professor was to take part in a very risky procedure earlier this week. Many were worried and quick to show their support on Twitter, to the point that the tag #dogdadsupportsquad was even trending for a short period of time once the news broke out._

_I’ve received confirmation that Graham was completely healthy when he appeared on the show, but complications arose a few months after._

_”It was really hard for the both of us, but for Hannibal more so, I think,” said Will Graham. “I can’t say in enough words how grateful I am that he’s with me. Without him, I might not be here to make any comments at all, since it was mainly his superior nose that informed me I was even sick in the first place!”_

_“Our relationship was really new at the time, and I think my sickness was really testing the bond the show said we had,” he continued, “But, in the end, it worked out. We’re stronger now because of it.” He shared a private smile with Lecter while holding hands and didn’t comment further._

_So not to worry, dear viewers, our graham cracker is still alive and kicking! As of writing this, Graham has still not been cleared to leave the hospital premises so they can continue to monitor him, but we have it on good authority that he’ll make a full recovery. In the meantime, your well wishes are certainly appreciated. And look on the bright side: we might just be getting that follow-up episode with Graham and Lecter we’ve all been clamoring for! So go spam @CelebrityCrushTV right now!_

_Also, don’t forget - for updates on this story, make sure to follow my blog and Twitter (@FreddieLounds). See you soon!_

  
  


“Now it’s time for what everyone’s been waiting for! Yes, we here at Celebrity Crush actually do pay attention to what our viewers want, and that’s why we’ve brought back, by popular demand, a certain couple... Let’s hear it for Will Graham and Dr. Hannibal Lecter!”

As the words were echoed through the speakers, the aforementioned pair strode onto the stage. Though Will still looked nervous about being there, he was noticeably less so than his first appearance. And, of course, Hannibal looked just as comfortable as he did last time, with one slight difference: his eyes seemed softer with affection.

As soon as they took their seats, Jimmy pounced. After all, those ratings won’t raise themselves! “So, Will, Hannibal, how are you both doing? It’s been quite a while since you’ve last been here!”

”It certainly has,” Hannibal replied.

”And I would’ve liked to keep it that way,” Will smiled wryly. At Hannibal’s disapproving stare, he wilted. ”We’ve been doing...fine.”

Jimmy chose to ignore the earlier quip. ”Yes, about that. You definitely gave quite a few of us a scare with that encephalitis thing. Can you tell us more about that?”

Will rolled his eyes, but the audience could see him clench Hannibal’s hand tighter in his. “There’s nothing to tell, really. I got sick, Hannibal told me about it and asked - no, _made_ \- me get checked by a doctor, who told me I had encephalitis. Next thing I knew, I was being admitted and wheeled to surgery.” He shared, shaking his head. “I finally got free a couple days ago, and let me tell you, it’s great! I’ll definitely never take my free will for granted again.”

Jimmy chuckled at that before turning to address Hannibal. “And what is this I’m hearing about you ‘sniffing out Will’s disease’?”

”I have a keen sense of smell,” Hannibal offered an enigmatic smile, “It’s helped me in many other situations. In fact, I once smelled stomach cancer on a colleague, who is still alive today to tell you about it, if you’d like.”

”No, no, that’s alright. I’m sure it’s a great story, but we’re a bit tight on time today. Sorry about that.”

Hannibal inclined his head and didn’t respond, simply looking at Will who was sneakily glancing at him here and then. The brunette blushed when he was caught, eyes glued to the floor.

Some things never change.

”Anyhow, I’m sure you can guess what’s on today’s schedule...” Will opened his mouth for another sarcastic retort, but Jimmy didn’t let him interrupt. “That’s right, a game!”

The audience cheered. “As you all know, we’ve had many more guests on the show now than just Will and Hannibal, but they still remain the kings! Today, we’ll test that in one more, final game: _Seek You Out_.”

"But before we start," He turned to look at Will. “Did the doctors say you were okay to do this?”

”I’m fine. I was cleared.”

Jimmy nodded seriously. “Ok then, we proceed! We’ll meet you outside, everyone!”

  
  


When the cameras were next turned on, it was to show a split screen, one side with Will and Jimmy while the other showed Hannibal. Jimmy waved.

“Welcome back to what we’re calling the final test!” He gestured excitedly. “Behind me, you’ll see a corn maze. Will and Hannibal are going to navigate through it and meet each other in the middle where they'll find a bale of hay. As soon as they both sit on it, the timer will stop.”

“As always, we’re looking for a fast time here, especially from our so-called ‘ _kings_ ’ of the show,” Jimmy waggled his eyebrows at Will who didn’t deign that with a response. He simply moved to his spot and stared at Jimmy irately, impatient to start. Somehow, the audience still found his gruffness endearing.

“It looks like Will is ready. And you, Hannibal?” On the other side, Hannibal nodded. ”Ok then, on my count. Three, two, one... Go!”

The timer started and both took off.

Hannibal, to no one’s surprise, was progressing through the maze at a fast pace. I mean, the man had so many talents, of course he’d have a great sense of direction as well. Meanwhile, Will was having a little trouble. He kept running into dead ends and, by the amount of times he’d scratched a hand through his hair, was getting frustrated.

“It looks like Will’s having some problems... hopefully he’ll be able to channel his soulmate connection with Hannibal and find the way to reach him!”

Fortunately, Will did. It seemed as if he had an epiphany as he suddenly started making all the right turns ("See, what'd I say?!"). He was on a roll, and was nearly all caught up with Hannibal, but the chef still arrived at the middle first.

He gracefully sat down on the bale of hay, waiting for his partner to emerge. He wasn’t kept waiting for long as, not soon after, Will appeared breathlessly. He spotted Hannibal seated in the middle and, without hesitation, ran and sat in his lap.

The timer stopped and the audience cheered as their favorite couple, once again, completed the challenge. Hannibal smiled, holding Will with a hand at his waist and another on his lower back as Will heaved for breath, a hand on Hannibal’s shoulder to keep himself steady.

They were so lost in each other that they missed Jimmy’s speech and completely forgot there were still cameras on them. Hannibal decided it was the perfect opportunity and, as soon as he regained his bearings, gently pushed Will off of his lap.

“Hannibal?” The man looked at him questioningly, unaware of his intentions until he dropped down on to one knee.

“I felt compelled to ask this here since this show is where it all began. Albeit, I was hoping for better circumstances, but looking at you at this moment, I realized it doesn’t matter when I do it, just that I do.” He explained, taking a box out of his pocket while Will’s hands flew up to his face and tears started to gather in his eyes. “So, Will Graham, the man I never expected to meet but am so happy every day to have, and will cherish for the rest of my life, will you marry me?”

”Yes,” Will choked out and couldn’t say anything more as Hannibal smiled a genuine smile and stood up, taking his hand to slide the ring on his finger. It fit perfectly.

They ignored Jimmy’s squawking at the unexpected event (This’ll definitely boost our ratings!) and the audience who, even though they couldn’t be seen, would certainly show their appreciation for the display later.

Right now, it was just them. Not as celebrity and contestant, but as husband and husband.


End file.
